27 CFR 25.163 - Method of tax payment.

A brewer shall pay the tax on beer by return on TTB F 5000.24, as provided in §§ 25.164, 25.164a, 25.173, and 25.175. In paying the tax, a fractional part of a cent will be disregarded unless it amounts to one-half cent or more, in which case it will be increased to one cent.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is amending its regulations relating to alcohol excise taxes to implement certain changes made to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (IRC) by the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 (PATH Act). This rulemaking implements section 332 of the PATH Act, which amends the IRC to change tax return due dates and remove bond requirements for certain eligible taxpayers. Section 332 authorizes a new annual return period for taxpayers paying taxes imposed with respect to distilled spirits, wines, and beer on a deferred basis who reasonably expect to be liable for not more than $1,000 in such taxes imposed for the calendar year and who are liable for not more than $1,000 in such taxes in the preceding calendar year. Section 332 also removes bond requirements for taxpayers who are eligible to pay excise taxes on distilled spirits, wines, and beer using quarterly or annual return periods and who pay those taxes on a deferred basis. Under section 332, such taxpayers are exempt from bond requirements with respect to distilled spirits and wine only to the extent those products are for nonindustrial use. TTB is soliciting comments from all interested parties on these amendments through a notice of proposed rulemaking published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register .

In a temporary rule published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is amending its regulations relating to excise taxes imposed on distilled spirits, wines, and beer to implement certain changes made to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (IRC) by the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 (PATH Act). The temporary rule implements section 332 of the PATH Act, which amends the IRC to remove bond requirements and change tax return due dates for certain eligible excise taxpayers. In this document, TTB proposes to adopt the regulations in the temporary rule as a permanent regulatory change. The text of the regulations in the temporary rule serves as the text of the proposed regulations. This document also proposes to amend the regulations governing the submission of reports by certain eligible excise taxpayers. In this document, TTB is soliciting comments on the amendments adopted in the temporary rule and the amendments proposed in this notice of proposed rulemaking.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is adopting as a permanent regulatory change a flat $1,000 penal sum for the brewer's bond for brewers whose excise tax liability is reasonably expected to be not more than $50,000 in a given calendar year and who were liable for not more than $50,000 in such taxes in the preceding calendar year. TTB originally set forth this change in a temporary rule issued on December 7, 2012. In addition, TTB is adopting as a final rule its proposal, also issued on December 7, 2012, to require small brewers to file Federal excise tax returns, pay tax, and submit reports of operations quarterly. TTB expects these amendments to reduce the regulatory burdens on such brewers, reduce their administrative costs, and create administrative efficiencies for TTB.

Effective Dates: This temporary rule is effective from December 7, 2012 through December 7, 2015.

27 CFR Part 25

Summary

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) amends its regulation that sets forth the penal sum for a brewer's bond where the excise tax liability of the brewer is reasonably expected to be not more than $50,000 in the current calendar year and the brewer was liable for not more than $50,000 in such taxes in the preceding calendar year. For a period of three years, the penal sum of the required bond will be $1,000 for such brewers who file excise tax returns and remit taxes quarterly. In a related proposed rule published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register , TTB is soliciting comments from all interested parties on this amended regulatory text, on whether TTB should permanently adopt this change, and on other proposed regulatory changes.

Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register , the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is publishing a temporary rule that for a period of three years modifies the penal sum for a brewer's bond where the excise tax liability of the brewer is reasonably expected to be not more than $50,000 in the current calendar year and the brewer was liable for not more than $50,000 in such taxes in the preceding calendar year. Under the temporary rule, for the next three years, the penal sum of the required bond is $1,000 for such brewers who file excise tax returns and remit taxes quarterly. In this document, TTB proposes to adopt the $1,000 penal sum amount for the brewer's bond for such brewers as a permanent regulatory change. This document also proposes amendments to the regulatory text to require that such brewers file Federal excise tax returns and payments quarterly, as well as submit reports of operations quarterly. Finally, TTB is soliciting comments on how the TTB regulations governing brewers' operations might be modified to reduce the burden on brewers and, at the same time, meet all statutory requirements and protect the revenue.